Quilt News! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year quilt friends!

 

Quilt News! Story of Three Quilt Designs Inspired by Audrey's Bramble Blooms Challenge 1 and 2 @ Quiltyfolk.com...Happy December, Tis the Season to Be Merry!....

My first, Three Cone Flowers w Borders Quilt finished @ 24" square, inspired by BB1 Challenge.

My second, Chairs w' Sunflowers Quilt Top, 30" x 40" inspired by BB2 Challenge.

And third, my Four Tiles Medallion w Borders Quilt Top, 44" square, design inspired by BB2 Challenge.

 

Hello Quilt Friends from the valley where we have cold temperatures, rain and clouds today. 

Christmas lights are shining in the neighborhood and Christmas tree lots are doing fast business.

I have two quilt tops and one small finished quilt, all 3 designs inspired by Audrey's Bramble Bloom Challenge @ quiltyfolk.com . Three Cone Flowers with Borders, 24" square, inspired by BB1, is finished. My second quilt top design, Chairs w' Sunflowers was 'indirectly' inspired. I was going to use a sunflower batik for a backing to one of the tops I was piecing together for the BB Challenge and so I added some left over scrappy pieces to my sunflower batik fabric and then decided to add the 'Chairs' blocks I had been experimenting with to the batik backing and I liked it and decided it would make a great top, not just a backing. I do get side tracked often!

Then my third BB2 inspired quilt top, Four Tiles Medallion w' Borders, was directly inspired by Audrey's BB2 Challenge , to start with 'Old Italian' quilt blocks 'in the center'. And my Old Italian blocks are floating on a sea of Cherry Blossoms bordered by aqua batik and Kona Cotton Solid 'Pool'. Dreaming of spring I guess.

That is the quilt news from my sewing room where progress is being made. How are your projects coming together? Do you get sidetracked like I do?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 

 

Christmas trees for sale,, tis the season!

Quilt News! HourGlass Blocks Medallion Quilt Top Finish, My BrambleBlooms 2 Challenge Quilt Top Piecing Borders, Kona Cotton Solids by Robert Kaufman, Carloyn Forster's New Book

Borders have been pieced onto my BB2 Four Tiles with Borders quilt top and more borders and corner blocks to be added.

My sewing machine and I have been busy piecing borders and blocks...

My small Hourglass Blocks Medallion with String Borders quilt top finish, 15" x 15".

 

This is Thanksgiving week and I'm thankful for our many blessings! Last week we experienced a wind storm or as the media likes to call it a 'bomb cyclone', which is to say an intense wind storm. Our electricity was out for 3 days in our area and longer for surrounding areas. Big trees and power lines were downed. We had no heat, no internet, and no way to cook. Deciding to drive to another town in hopes of finding warmth and warm food, we found blocked roads and detours and backed up traffic, yes, other people were trying to find the same things. The traffic lights weren't working so it was slow going, we all had to stop and take our turn crossing the intersections. It was a unique experience. But our local power company and police worked hard to keep everyone safe and get the trees off the road and the power lines up and running again. I'm thankful for all their dedicated, hard work!

And now this week I've slowly started piecing again some borders and blocks adding to several projects. I'm slowing down to get ready (baking pies!) for celebrating Thanksgiving this Thursday.

In cutting and piecing blocks and borders I've been using Kona Cotton Solids by Robert Kaufman; Banana Pepper, Mango and Glacier to name just a few. If I don't have a big enough variety of Kona Cotton Solids to choose from I get anxious. I like to use a mix of prints, batiks and solids in my projects, kind of like a recipe.

I've been reading through and I highly recommend, Carolyn Forster's new book String Quilts. She has packed so much practical quilt knowledge in her new book it's amazing and Search Press, the publishers, have done a fabulous job with her new book.

That, Quilt Friends, is the quilt news from the valley where we are so thankful for our many blessings!

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News! Inspired Small Miniature Hour Glass Block Quilt Top Finish, Ruby Star Society Fabric at Fat Quarter Shop , Half Square Triangles in Barn Raising Formation Medallion with Borders Quilt Hand Quilting Progress, November Fall Colors Around Town

Persimmons at local farmers market.....Orange!

My small Hourglass quilt top, 10.5" square, blocks are approx 1.5".

More exciting fall color at the market.

Ornamental Kale...lacy edges...beautiful color...

Hand quilting progress on my Half Square Triangles in Barn Raising Formation with Borders Quilt.

A fat quarter I recently bought at a local quilt shop, by Ruby Star Society, so happy!

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Happy November! 

The holidays are upon us. And we're remembering to bless and share with our neighbors around us. 

This last couple of weeks I was inspired by Debbie @ aquilterstable and her project with Hour Glass Blocks. I like the challenge of Hour Glass blocks, the piecing and the color placement. I didn't want to get a big project going so I decided small would be a good place to start. My small quilt top measures 10.5" square and will probably get a few more borders added for a table mat for a Christmas gift. I used the Ruby Star Society pink and red print in a few of the Hour Glass Blocks.

And hand quilting my Half Square Triangles in Barn Raising Formation Medallion with Borders Quilt , 56" x 56", is almost done. Yey! 

If you haven't seen Ruby Star Society's fabrics lately Fat Quarter Shop has a good selection with affordable prices. The colors are inspiring.

That is the quilt news from the valley. Have you finished any holiday projects or are you just starting?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! My Current Hand Stitching Boro/Running Stitch Projects, Colors That Are Inspiring Me This Week, and My Barn Raising Medallion with Borders Quilt Hand Quilting Progress!

Boro/running stitch project....

My favorite colors this week, some solids, batiks and prints..

My iron on transfer hand embroidery project, Biscornu pincushion hand stitched with Sashiko embellishment.

 Hello Quilt Friends! Rainy and cloudy here in the valley with fall leaves putting on an amazing show.

This week I've been hand stitching making progress on my Boro/Running Stitch Project which will be turned into various sewing accoutrements. I also finished my Biscornu pincushion sewn by hand and embellished with Sashiko, it was a challenge from my local hand stitch group.

And almost finished my iron on transfer embroidery, lemons. I love embroidered kitchen towels. It turns out a lot of my relatives do too. 

And I'm hand quilting my Barn Raising Medallion with Borders Quilt. It's taken some time, and I'm almost done!

 Debbie at aquilterstable has signed up for Tara Faughnan's Block Study Collective 2 a six month membership and has finished the Hourglass piece. It's superb. What a great opportunity for challenge and fun, right? I'm inspired. The Block Study 2's enrollment is now closed but will open again in 2025. Block Study 1 is open and you can choose to sign up for just one course or the whole bundle. 

That's the quilt news from the valley. Do you have any almost finished hand stitching projects?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Four Tiles Medallion with Borders Quilt Top Finish, Carpinito Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze!

My Four Tiles Medallion with Borders Quilt top finished, 32" square.

Carpinito's Pumpkin Patch biggest pumpkin contest winners.

Various pumpkins at local market...

Acorn squash for sale at Carpinito's Pumpkin Patch/vegetable stand.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Fall weather here in the valley with sun and rain off and on. 

I finished piecing my Four Tiles Medallion Quilt with Borders, 32" square. It was a design challenge by Audrey, Bramble Berry 2, at Quilty Folk. Audrey keeps lots of inspiration rolling in, color, design, technique etc.

This last week we visited Carpinito Brothers Pumpkin Patch and vegetable stand. So many gorgeous orange pumpkins and a huge selection of vegetables. So we'll be having baked acorn squash tonight for dinner.

And prayers for all the families in Florida still suffering the effects of the storm. My heart goes out to them.

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Blue Ribbon for my Medallion Style Art Quilt with Borders, New Komebukuro Japanese Style Draw String Bag #5 Finish, And Fall Colors Decor...

State Fair Blue Ribbon, I'm excited!

This is the winner, my Medallion Style with Borders Art Quilt.

Progress on my 4 Tiles Medallion BB2 Challenge quilt top, my interpretation, approx 32" square.

Finished my Komebukuro/Japanese Drawstring Bag #5.

Fall decor fun for our grand children when they visit.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! Fall is here and it's a wonderful time of the year. 

I put out fall decorations so our grandchildren can have fun with the colors and talk about the upcoming fall and winter fun. It's important isn't it to share with children the excitement and beauty of the seasons as they change. I love the wonder in their eyes.

And my Medallion Style Art Quilt with Borders won a blue ribbon at the Washington State Fair, Yey! It was my first time at competition and I was not getting my hopes up. I had read some articles on state fair competition and read that it's really up to the judges to make the decisions on who does or doesn't win anything, so don't take the outcome personal. I entered 3 quilts and got one blue ribbon, I'm okay with that. 

My Four Tiles Medallion quilt (BB2 challenge), now has another round of pieced borders and corner blocks ready to sew onto the center, it will measure approx. 32" square. This is my rendition and loose interpretation of the prompts by Audrey at Quiltyfolk. No applique will be added. I'm using this challenge as design practice.

Last week I finished my Komebukuro/Japanese style drawstring bag #5. I'm going for the rustic look in this series of drawstring bags. I made twine from fabric strips for the drawstring and that is time consuming. But I did find a faster way to make twine from a tutorial. Instead of holding the strips in one hand and doing the twisting with the other hand, the strips are anchored by a safety pin and both hands twist the strips, much faster and easier on the hands! I often learn as I go, right?

That is the quilt news from the valley, where the days are getting shorter.

Do you decorate or do something special to celebrate fall?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Super Dahlia Color, Do You Use a Color Wheel? Chair Block Quilt Top Needed Orange Strip, String Border Piecing, Four Squares on Point Quilt Blocks Progress

Dahlias at Point Defiance, Tacoma WA Rose and Dahlia Garden.

How beautiful is this fabulous yellow dahlia....

Orange strip added to my Chair Block Quilt top, just right now.

My Four Tiles Quilt top will soon have string borders.

The stack of my Four Patch Blocks on Point is growing.

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

Rain and cooler temperatures here in the valley. Fall will soon be here! 

A few weeks ago we made a day trip to Point Defiance  Tacoma WA Rose and Dahlia Garden.

The garden is kept up superbly, it is fenced in so deer won't eat the roses. Fuchsias were blooming and hummingbirds were busy. It was a warm day so the smell of roses was in the air and the dahlias were at their best. 

Orange and yellow were on my mind when I got back and I could see that my Chair Block quilt top needed a strip of orange for contrast. Then my Four Tiles Quilt top came to mind and I knew that a string border with lots of yellow and orange was needed to add interest. Yes, I use a color wheel to help on color decisions because I easily get overwhelmed with color choices because I like them all. My favorite color wheel is Robert Burridge Goof Proof Color Wheel. 

Then I've been piecing Four Patch on Point blocks together because they make up a good quilt and use lots of scraps and left over pieces. The stack is getting bigger.

Carolyn Forster has a new book out, Hand Stitched Quilts. I like Carolyn's books they are beautiful and full of good tutorials. Hand Piecing is a big commitment but doable and your hand eye coordination does improve with practice. Ask any embroiderer or slow stitcher.

And that is the quilt news from the valley. Where do you get your color inspiration from?

We have lots to be thankful for don't we?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Piecing 'Chair' Blocks on Sunflower Batik, Love Color by Anna Starmer, Color Inspiration Goodness

This is my design, Chairs on Sunflowers, approx. 38" x 28", so far.

This book by Anna Starmer from my local library is a color thrill!

Yellow and orange, need I say more? Photo in Anna Starmer's book...

Closer view of my chair blocks in sunflowers.

Hydrangeas, color extravagance, photo in Anna Starmer's book...

Say yes to red and blue, photo in Anna Starmer's book...

Yellow and blue, stunning, photo in Anna Starmer's book...

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

Sunshine and rain here in the valley. 

I've pieced together my chair blocks inspired by Debbie @aquilterstable. 

I drew chair blocks on graph paper, experimenting with size, then finding sizes that looked good I got out my ruler and cut out chair pieces from fabric and pieced them together. After arranging the chair blocks I pieced them together with batiks and Kona cotton solids. The brown print is from my stash. That sunflower batik is gorgeous, I should have bought the whole bolt.

And in between piecing, pressing and arranging I have been reading a book by Anna Starmer Color Love,

it's from my local library and what an excellent inspiration it is! Anna's book shows great examples of color combinations and gives good explanations on pairing colors and using contrasts to make those combinations superb.

My head is full of color happiness!

What have you been doing for inspiration in your corner of the world?

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Improv Chair Block Panel Inspired by A Quilter's Table, Borders Added to a Medallion Quilt, Entered 3 Quilts in the Washington State Fair, Back from Vacation

My Chair Blocks Panel against Banana Pepper Yellow a Kona Cotton.

Turquoise batik border added to my Four Tiles Medallion Quilt.

My Improv Chair Blocks before final piecing.

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

 

Back to business as usual here after several days of relaxing and loafing around.

 

I entered 3 of my quilts in the Washington State Fair which starts August 30 and goes for about a month. I like the idea of sharing inspiration maybe getting someone interested enough to try their hand at designing a quilt. The fair has always been exciting and inspiring for me from home textiles to livestock.

And I saw Debbie's Improv Chair Blocks aquilterstable.blogspot.com, and I had to give them a try. So I drew some ideas on paper then cut some experimental pieces out and stitched them together and came up with some blocks I liked, which I pieced into a panel. Now I'll admire them for a while before I make any lasting decisions.

That is the news from the valley. Been on any vacations lately?

I'll be by to visit!

Quilt News! Summer Time DayTrips, Improv Quilt Design Fun, Blossoms Everywhere..

Cone Flowers in the Maple Valley Arboretum, gorgeous color!

My small quilt top, Four Tiles Medallion with Sawtooth Border.

Port Orchard, WA looking toward the Olympic Mountains.

Wild Flowers, Queen Anne's Lace.

I was thinking of using this bit of improv for a quilt backing.....

 

Hello Quilt Friends! 

Summer Vacation is in the air here. And so are pollen, insects and birds, very entertaining really.

Last week we took a road trip to Port Orchard, rural. The traffic was okay, it's about an hour away. For lunch we had Fish and Chips at a local restaurant, delicious. The tourist shopping was excellent with a well stocked and curated antique mall. Stopping at a few state parks on salt water we watched people fishing and digging for clams/oysters.

I've had a little time for project planning and piecing together a quilt back that I like too much for just a back. But it could work out, it'll be one of those double sided quilts that could go either way.

And that is the quilt news from the valley, where the summer days are long and it's wonderful to be outside!

How are you enjoying your summer?

I know some quilt friends are in the middle of winter, down under, do stay warm!

I'll be by to visit.

Quilt News! Three Coneflowers Medallion with Borders Quilt with Raw Edge Applique Finish! Sewing/Project Room Peek, Make Twine with Fabric Strips for Komebukuro Bag? Yes!

My Three Coneflowers Medallion with Borders Quilt finished!

This is my sewing/project table, cleaned up for the photo, it's normally more cluttered!

My two fabric bins, yes, that is all I allow myself.

Hall closet where sewing/project tools, batting, etc and three finished quilt tops reside with bath towels and pillow cases. A multi-task closet.

My first Komebukuro Japanese style drawstring bag with new twine drawstrings.

Making twine with fabric strips is easy and I like the look with my bag.

 

 

Hello Quilt Friends!

Last week was extremely busy with several days of kids and grand kids visiting with fun and adventures. 

I did manage to get the binding sewn on my BB1 QAL project before they came and Three Cone Flowers Medallion Quilt is finished! I used Raw Edge Machine Applique to sew on the three cone flowers with leaves. That was my first try but a lot easier than I thought it would be. It's machine quilted.

I found a good tutorial on making twine with fabric strips and I liked the look. So I twined two lengths to replace the grey ribbon in my first yellow Komebukuro Japanese style drawstring bag. The twine drawstring looks more authentic. 

And Debbie @ aquilterstable featured some photos of her sewing/quilting room in her blog that I enjoyed seeing, so I thought I would show my humble sewing/quilting room too. Mine is a tight ship but it works for me. I iron on my Martelli's Round About cutting mat and ironing pad.

That is the news from the valley where I'm getting back to business as usual. I'm remembering to be thankful, counting my blessings one by one.

I'll be by to visit.